shep532:
Here we go. I am also one of those scary people takes yer money and subjects you to 7 hours of BS but hopefully correct BS. I certainly try my best 
I actually feel sorry for you guys, for a couple of reasons. The rules are actually simple for most people, its only when you try to micro analyse them or pull up DCPC trainers that they become more complex. And of course you can make them as complex as you like if you want to.
shep532:
Anyway … I attended a DCPC course as a customer today - so as a driver obtaining 7 hours of DCPC and within the first hour the point had been proven that this whole DCPC needs looking at.
This course is exactly the same as the one you posted about and raised the same points about a few months ago.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=105867
But you went and sat it?
shep532:
Points from the day
1. The trainer was infact a funeral director - but I don’t suppose that means he doesn’t know a thing or two
2. “After 9 hours of a daily driving period a daily rest must be taken”. This is a direct quote from their powerpoint slideshow. I read this as meaning once I reach 9 hours driving I have to start my rest. I queried this and he said “You know what I mean”
3.“Daily rest can be reduced to 9 hours on three occasions per week”. Again a direct quote from their powerpoint. After a bit of discussion he said it meant “Per working week”. I suggested the powerpoint needed amending to show “between any two weekly rests” and that he should refer to it that way
4. “Reduced weekly rest of a minimum of 24 hours can be taken once a fortnight - but, must be compensated by equivelant rest period before end of third week”. Again a direct quote from the powerpoint. I asked if I could reduce my weekly rest twice in a week to which the answer was “No”.
5. Apparently a driver must be “Free to dispose of his time as he wishes” to record a break
And finally - my favourite No 6. Ferry or Train. He explained the use of ‘Ferry Mode’ with a digital tacho. Someone said their drivers go to belfast on an overnight crossing where they get 12 hours of rest and asked do they need to use the ‘Ferry Mode’. The answer was “Yes. Ferry mode must be used to show you been on a ferry”. You just gotta laugh.
They’re roughly right. None of them are going to get you in trouble put it that way. The stuff is meant to be put over in a relevant easy to understand and applicable to your circumstances way.
Whats the point in pulling an instructor up over something like… you said only reduce three times in a week, when its three times inbetween rest periods? For most people rest periods are weekly, and what they’re told is generally correct. Unless of course we go the route of shoving the actual regulations as stated and laid down at drivers and say…digest that lot, i’ll ask questions later. If they pass they’ll qualify for a Bar exam never mind a DCPC. For about 90% of drivers knowing that you can reduce three times a week is good enough. There’s not enough hours in a DCPC module to become an expert on drivers hours.
shep532:
I asked four of the drivers present - all from non haulage companies (restricted licence holders) if they had learnt anything. Answer?? "No"and “It’s all very confusing” It is a shame.
It would be confusing because you are asking technically confusing questions which you as someone knowledgable know the answer too. Whats the point in asking if you can reduce your rest twice in a week? You already know that technically you can. He’s just trying to instruct that one reduced rest and the one full one is the way to go. For most people this rule would hold true.
shep532:
As for the questions about who trains the trainers … I can’t vouch for others but for me - A Dad who was ‘In the Ministry’ and never shut up about tachos for most of my adult life - which at the time was annoying but now he’s gone I miss him 
. A few years driving on and off as well as mechanicing (fixing) them, and lots of different training courses and seminars, a fairly recently passed manager CPC, lots of reading and studying as well as around 8 years managing compliance in a largish haulage company.
Best experience you can get is just working a few months in a job using the rules and trying to understand and get along with them. You done that ?
shep532:
Some attend a simple ‘train the trainer’ course over three days, get a certificate from that and a free DCPC course on disc and away they go.
I think you all do that. Ooops, there me having a pop at a trainer when i said its bad form !!! 
The problem with what you say is that you need to know the rules to understand and get along with them, because in a lot of cases when you listen to those around you - you don’t get the right information. I certainly found this on leaving the armed forces. Little or no help, bum information, conflicting information from various people and honestly not knowing where to turn and it has been a learning curve since then.